Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun is one of the major protagonists in the 14th-century Chinese classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by the late Luo Guanzhong, and its multiple adaptations. He is a former servant of Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao and one of the generals of Shu. History Zhao Yun was born in Chángshān, Zhengding. The names of his relatives are unknown though he is mentioned to have a father and older brother. The Record of Three Kingdoms writes that he was 8 chi (approx. 185 cm or 6'1") tall and had a remarkably splendid appearance. He was recommended to join the military and was known to bravely lead troops under Gongsun Zan. When his lord clashed with Yuan Shao's army in Qingzhou, Zhao Yun was sent to aid Tian Kai. Through the latter's influence, he met Liu Bei and became a cavalry commander for him. To mourn the sudden passing of his older brother, Zhao Yun left Liu Bei and returned to Gongsun Zan. Another reason for his departure has also been Yuan Shao's expansion in 192, which threatened his homeland. In 200, Liu Bei relied on Yuan Shao for a time in Ye and Zhao Yun worked hard to be recognized by Liu Bei, organizing and training hundreds of troops. He eventually became Liu Bei's subordinate. Liu Bei left Yuan Shao with time and, in 208, he was fleeing from Cao Cao's massive army. Liu Bei had abandoned his family and traveled with his closest retainers. When their army was passing through Jingzhou, Zhao Yun voluntarily went back to retrieve Liu Bei's wife and child, Lady Gan and A Dou. When Cao Chun captured Liu Bei's two daughters, Zhao Yun rescued A Dou and Lady Gan from seemingly impossible odds. For his efforts, he was promoted to General of the Standard. In the same year, he also participated in the battles in Guiyang. Zhao Fan tried to marry his older brother's widow to him. Zhao Yun declined and said, "Zhao Fan surrendered only recently and we don't know what lies underneath his skin. Besides, there are plenty of women in this world." The incident made Liu Bei realize Zhao Yun's true character and, pleased with the reply, he soon sent his vassal to Liuying. During the time Zhuge Liang joined in 213, Zhao Yun worked with Zhang Fei to suppress various provinces in Shu. Zhao Yun came from Jiangzhou of the river his comrade traveled and headed west to Chengdu. He was named General Yijun for his services. There is a story saying that Zhao Yun opposed his lord's distribution of the local farmland after his lord conquered Yizhou. Liu Bei wanted to give the locals' lands to his army but dropped the idea with Zhao Yun's persuasion. Zhao Yun also took part in the Battle of Mount Dingjun. According to Zhao Yun's records and the Zizhi Tongjian, Huang Zhong attacked Cao Cao's food supply while Zhao Yun was returning from an unrelated scouting mission. When his comrade did not return, Zhao Yun rode out with a handful of men to check on him. He was soon surrounded by Cao Cao's army and, though he charged through enemy lines, he eventually decided to retreat back to his base to tend to his fallen comrades. Cao Cao's troops pursued but stopped when they saw the gates open, as if inviting them to enter. To avoid the threat of an ambush, Cao Cao had his troops withdraw. Liu Bei heard of Zhao Yun's heroism and said, "Zilong is filled with bile!" Bile was believed to have greatly contributed to the amount of courage one had. He was nicknamed "General of Tiger Valour" from then on. When Liu Bei went to attack Sun Quan in 222, the Shu army were greatly determined to win at Xiaoting. Zhao Yun, however, expressed his distaste for the battle and remained in Jiāngzhōu. As a result, he was completely unharmed during the conflict. Two years later, he was eventually promoted to the General who Guards the East. He was stationed in Hanzhong with Zhuge Liang in 227. In the following year, he and Deng Zhi were ordered to distract Cao Zhen's large army while Zhuge Liang led a separate attack on Mount Qi. From the start, however, Zhao Yun knew that the tide of battle was against them and eventually issued a retreat to avoid losing huge numbers. To ensure his men's safety, Zhao Yun personally guarded his army's flank. His army didn't lose many war supplies and they were able to re-distribute resources with other armies. Zhuge Liang offered to reward him, but he declined since it was still a defeat. Taking responsibility for the loss, he was demoted. He passed away and was succeeded by his eldest son, Zhao Tong, in 229. In 261, Wei Yan said the following regarding Zhao Yun: "A gentle, affectionate, wise, miraculous being who called the land to order. With him, neither accidents or disasters could disturb the peaceful balance he created. I think it reasonable to call him the true general of peace." 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